Forever Changed
by laranbebe
Summary: "You meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you. And then you meet one person and your life is changed forever". Moments that forever changed Aria and Ezra's lives.
1. Chapter 1

Hellllllllllllllllo! It has been a bit long, woops on that.

Here's my new story, I hope you all enjoy :)!

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"Ezra, I am begging you." Aria spoke in the faintest voice possible, she was wearing his Hollis College hoody and looked at a panicked Ezra who was packing his essentials to leave Rosewood.

"Aria, if I had a choice I wouldn't leave but you said it yourself, he's ruthless." Ezra saw the tears that had finally began to spill and stopped, he closed the distance between them and sighed. "Do you have any idea how much I truly love you? I can't love you behind bars, and you can't be the girl who was known for banging her teacher."

Aria decided to use this moment as her final chance to cling to Ezra. He wrapped his arms around her petite figure and breathed in the smell of strawberry shampoo. They stood in silence for more than 10 minutes before Aria herself broke the silence. "If you have to be gone before sunrise, I'll help you pack. There's a lot of stuff you have here to move"

Ezra looked around himself, he didn't want to move but Aria had a fair point, there was a lot to do in such little time. Byron had warned Ezra to leave town before sunrise on Saturday, otherwise Byron would phone the police and tell them about "Ezra raping his 16 year old daughter". When the message was relaid to Aria, she went insane, she almost broke her family completely apart, she said she'd leave along with Ezra which in turn caused more issues for Ezra. He would be considered a rapist along with kidnapping his said victim.

Ezra told her that she had to stay, this could have been the hardest thing for him to ever do. Sure Ezra had other girls in his life before Aria and losing them was hard, but Aria was different, she was the love of his life. He knew walking away from her was the right thing to do but he struggled more and more with it as time crept up on them.

When they had packed all of his essential items, it was only 1 hour til sun rise. Ezra looked at an emotonally cracked Aria, she was curled up in a ball looking in his direction. He walked over to her and looked at her, he lightly placed himself on the chair beside her and she was still watching him fully.

"Aria," He spoke her name, not wanting to finsh his sentense, "If I don't have a chance to come back to you, I want you to move on and be happy."

"Ezra, I only want you." Aria's voice cracked when she spoke his name, she wasn't in any position to argue, she was tired physically and emotionally but she knew that she didn't want to move on.

"Let's just say, it's not the end, I don't want to hold you back, Aria. You are meant for great things." Ezra used his hand to gently move a strand of hair out of Aria's eye line and looked at her. She didn't speak again. She moved into his lap, wrapping herself up in his arms and stayed there until he had to move.

The walk to his car was long and painfull as she knew she wouldn't see him for a long time after this because of her father. She held his hand with both of hers. He looked down at her and she fought the tears, it was hard enough already without her crying her heart out. He turned to her before he got into his car, his eyes were full of tears too. He knew that leaving this town would be hard but he felt like he was dying inside.

"Aria, I will always be in love with you, until the day I die, I'll love you".

She didn't have the words necessary to reply to him, instead she kissed him. It was a slow kiss that was full of passion, it was a goodbye kiss.

When he got into his car, the lot seemed to be massive when in reality it was a 50 car parking lot. Aria stood and watched him in complete misery.

Ezra drove away and his vision became so blurrred after a few moments and he sobbed his heart out, "Oh God, I'm so screwed."

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_**6 Years Later**_

Ezra felt a small nudge on his arm, alarming him and it woke him straight away. Jennifer sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with her big blue eyes. Ezra glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand, it was only 5 am.

"Why are you awake?" He groaned between his yawns.

"I couldn't sleep, I'm too nervous for today and your tossing and turning drove me insane. You were really loud, I was in the living room and I heard you.. You sounded sad and you sound like you were cying." Jennifer said to a half asleep Ezra.

Ezra was upset, this week was the week he left Aria. 6 years and he still missed her and had the overwhelming feeling of guilt in regards to how their relationship ended. He had lost the one person in the world that truly knew him. He looked up at Jennifer, the girl who was the oppossite from his former lover. She was tall, not as tall as him but tall. She had blond hair and blue eyes, she was beautiful but she wasn't Aria. She studied English with Drama at NYC, she met him at a dive bar when he was drunk and lonely. At first the relationship was about killing the overwhelming depression. Now, it was different. He really cared about her, she was amazing and she put up with him.

Jennifer was the same age as Aria. He noticed the similarities and differences as a weapon of either distruction or a way to get better. Lately the relationship between them had been going well, he was happy for the first time in 6 years and he wasn't complaining.

"Earth to Ez!" Jennifer was sitting in his tee shirt looking at him. "Where did you go?"

"Sorry babe, was thinking about stuff and my mind then went totally blank, I wasn't ignoring you." Ezra rubbed both of Jennifer's shoulders at the same time as a comforting gesture.

She leaned forward and was hugging him. While he played with her hair she sighed and leaned back to face him again "I am so nervous about today, Ez. What if I'm not a good teacher?"

"Trust me, your first day of teaching will go a lot better than mine did. As long as, actually nevermind, it doesn't matter." Ezra forced himself to stop, so he wouldn't laugh or cry in regards to his memories about Aria.

"Okay. Well I'm going for a shower babe, is it okay if I go first today?" She asked him while standing in the gap between the bed and the door.

Ezra got the most childish grin ever "Okay then".

She eyed him up and shrugged it off, within seconds of her being in the shower, he was in after her. He had plans for this morning that he often had in regards to the shower.

After their refreshing shower Ezra and Jennifer were getting ready for the day. Jennifer was in the opposite side the room when her iPhone buzzed loudly against the dresser. Ezra watched in the mirror while she replied to the text while a grin on her face.

"Hear anything good?" Ezra asked while not trying to care too much.

"Nah, just a friend. She was asking about my birthday plans actually." She said while looking at the floor with a worried expression in case Ezra had forgot.

"Your birthday?" Ezra said in a light tone.

"Yeah, my birthday." She repeated.

He sat there in silence, letting the tension build. Jennifer thought that he had forgot and seemed really hurt. "I meant to tell you that the plans are for next Friday, I made reservations at your favourite restaurant for 10, is that enough?"

Jennifer couldn't fight the smile that broke accross her lips, she quickly put down her straighteners and walked accross the room to kiss him fully on the lips "Thank you babe!"

Once they were ready to leave, Jennifer gave Ezra a slight peck on the lips and left to meet up with the girls for coffee before they started work. Ezra left to go to the private school he had been teaching in since 2013.

His mind often went to Aria. Where she was, how was her life, what college did she go to after all, how things were in her family, how she felt about him after everything and did she move on from him a lot easier than he did or was it just in his head?

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_So yeah. If you enjoy it or are interested in more, I would appreciate feedback :) Thanks! xoxo_

**_Laranbebe_**


	2. Chapter 2

_**So I made this chapter a bit longer :) Cause people asked me to! So tell me if you enjoyed guys!**_

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Aria sighed, her friends were all useless with timing but sitting in a coffee shop waiting for 20 minutes alone wasn't nice.

She had gotten use to the loneliness; she felt the pang of it too often to count. She had a void in her life and heart since Ezra left her. It took her a long time to move on. However getting over him wasn't as easy. She loved him deep down still but couldn't face the idea of admitting to herself how much he still matter to her because she needed to be okay, at least in front of her friends.

As she pulled out her iPhone to text the girls again, Jennifer appeared.

"So sorry I am late Aria!" Jennifer stood tall besides a small Aria sitting.

Aria rose up and only reaching Jennifer's shoulders, she leaned over and hugged her "It's fine, I'm glad you got here! No one else is here, Hanna's her own boss which means time isn't an issue but Spencer, you know what's she's like. She likes things being done right"

"I know!" Jennifer said with mild shock "But Aria, you live with the girls, how did you leave without them?"

"They were gone before I got home from Ryan's apartment and then they didn't leave a note like usual. I think they are together but I'm really not sure!" Aria replied.

"I'll give Spence a quick text and order her usual. She said she had the morning off from her classes and cases so I'll know soon enough" Aria reassured Jennifer.

As the two stood waiting to be served, Aria thought of life in general. A lot had changed in the last 6 years for her. She changed herself so she would never be a broken over a guy again. The months after Ezra had left were awful; rumours had begun to circulate about her and Ezra. She had lost nearly everything but her friends. Time really did heal her wounds; she hasn't loved again since Ezra. She's had countless flings with guys with no names. Her relationship with Byron finally began to mend, he missed her and much as she missed him and they speak on a regular basis now. She's as close as ever to her mother Ella and Mike as they stood by her during her worst and even though she wasn't herself she remembers it dearly.

Spencer, Hanna and Emily feared the idea of leaving Aria on her on at college. They all wanted to be close together because life had done even separating of the four so far. College is the place that they met Jennifer. She was Aria's roommate when they lived in the dorms for the first year and she just clicked in the group. Despite the similarities in her and Aria, they were so different.

Aria had finally opened her heart again, she was in a relationship for the first time in 6 years and Ryan had made everything so worthwhile again for her. She was falling for him hard and he adored her.

Hanna and Spencer entered the busy Starbucks from the same entrance. "We know we are late but someone just had to fly in for your birthday next week!"

The girls moved aside and there stood a tall Emily, she was holding hands with her new girlfriends hand tightly. Emily had gone to college with the girls also however she had been travelling. She was training to be a competitive swimmer and that meant a life on the road for her most of the time. She rarely was home in Rosewood let alone New York with the girls.

Aria smiled brightly and hugged her dear friend "God Em, you sure know how to pick them. She's beautiful!" Aria whispered into her ear quickly.

The small interaction between the girls made Emily blush a deep red. Jennifer then quickly stepped in and hugged Emily tightly.

Emily was the member of the group that had adjusted least to a new member. After all the girls went through, she found it hard to truly let her in.

Hanna finally interrupted the silence to remind Emily of her manners "Introduce her Emily!"

"Shoot! Sorry Babe" Emily closed the gap between herself and her girlfriend "This is Michelle, sorry for not introducing her straight away"

The girls sat for less than twenty minutes chatting when Aria had to leave. Being an editor for the New York Post was a very tough, long hour job but Aria loved doing it. She wrote articles occasionally but it also left her time to pursue her own writing. As usual she had a long busy day and it didn't end at five. It usually lasted to seven, sometimes eight. Aria finished work early in her terms today at half five. She was so glad because it gave her time to get ready before her anniversary date with Ryan at nine. Her work clothes were fine but they weren't exactly fitting for where they were going.

Aria walked the streets; luckily she was within walking distance from her apartment to work so it didn't cost her a fortune travelling. As she walked down the fairly quiet street, she thought she had seen a ghost. She saw a tall man, with piercing blue eyes and dark hair with a hint of curls. Her heart stopped beating and she lost all control.

Once the moment was over she reassured herself that it couldn't have been him. They broke up six years ago, there's not a chance that he could be that close to her in the whole world. She looked over her shoulder again, she felt uneasy because it felt like he was looking back at her with the smug smile that he had on his face after the time they had kissed in his car during the rain storm. However when she seen him after that she was in a completely difference place, she hadn't almost got over the love of her life. She was a 16 year old girl who had made out with a guy she had a thing for and seeing him like this again made her feel weak at the knees but not in the good way but the way that makes you feel sick to your stomach. She walked for a second more before completely stopping and exhaling loudly. She steadied herself and exhaled again. She shook off the idea that Ezra would be so close to her after the break up. He could have went anywhere in the world, he didn't have to be in the same city, let alone walking down the same street as her. She started walking again, vowing to herself that she wouldn't look back at him. Aria sighed and hugged herself tight. She felt the pang of loneliness that could only be cured by a Fitzy fresh hug.

When she got back the loft that she shared with Hanna and Spencer, she found the girls in the living room chatting. "Hey guys" Aria said in passing "Where is Emily and Michelle?"

"In the spare room, they were exhausted especially after Hanna dragged us around shopping for 4 hours!" Spencer said jokingly at Hanna's expense.

"I'm a fashion designer. I like to know what is going on with the market! God Spence, calm your head down!"

Aria just laughed at the daily banter that she witnessed between her best friend roommates.

"What are getting Jennifer for her birthday Aria?" Spencer asked while lightly leaning over the couch to face Aria who was standing in the kitchen area.

"Erm, I think that perfume she has been looking for and maybe a necklace, what about you guys?"

"I'm getting her a custom made designer bag with her initials on it so she can use it for work" Spencer said with a sense of pride.

"Well guys, I was just going to make her this killer dress that I am almost finished!" Hanna exclaimed. When she was committed to a task, she was completely into it and it had to be perfect. She obviously refused to show any of us until it was done, which meant that no one would see it before Jennifer did.

The girls chatted away while Aria looked down at her phone. She thought about the possibility of seeing Ezra earlier. She had thought what if they could get the happily ever after that they both so deserved. She then thought of Ryan. Aria struggled to be happy after he left. She didn't go to school for a week, her grades surely dropped, she loved sweats and ice cream more than anything. Music was her version of sanity; she usually was listening to sad slow love songs while she cried her heart out. She had been a lesser version of herself before she had lost him and she knew in her heart that she would always take him back but in her head she knew that she wouldn't let herself feel like that again, Ezra or no Ezra.

She couldn't take her mind off him and this wasn't just a onetime occurrence, she thought of him every day. Her mind went back to their first and last kiss. She compared every first kiss from other guys to his and not so surprisingly none of the kisses just made it right.

Aria decided to give Ryan the chance because after all he was the first guy who told her that she was worth more than a one night fling since Ezra.

Aria sat listening to the girls when her iPhone buzzed in her hand she looked down and seen that Ryan had texted her.

_Hey, just checking if we are still on for tonight, what time do you want me to pick you up at and I can't wait to see you. xxx_

Aria quickly typed a reply to Ryan.

_We are going out for dinner right? And of course we are still on, I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'll be ready for 9 if that's okay? xx_

She got the final reply.

_Sure thing babe, see you soon. xxx_

Aria finally spoke again "Guy, I'm going to get ready, meeting Ryan in 3 hours. Do you want anything before I go out?"

Spencer turned around on the chair as did Hanna "We really need to have a dinner with all of us while Emily is in town. Like we need a dinner for all of us... Including Jennifer and Michelle!"

"Yeah, I know, we could do it after Jennifer's birthday dinner? Like I know Em is here for a bit longer so hopefully we could just get it done then? I think we will have to wait for Jennifer's birthday first because she's so excited and I don't want to kill her excitement" Aria spoke out.

Both of the girls agreed and Aria went to get a shower.

In the shower, once again her mind went to Ezra. She would never truly get him out of her head. He was in her head, her mind, her as a person. She was full of Ezra and she didn't like the feeling that was there when he wasn't there. She forever would love him but he's not here and she can't just wait forever hoping that he still loves her. Even if he did, she didn't know where in the world he was.

Aria stood in the shower mindlessly for 40 minutes; she was mainly just using the water to calm herself. When she realised how late that she had been she turned off the water and got out. She had to look good for her 6 month anniversary with Ryan. It just sucked that it fell on the same week that her and Ezra's anniversary would have been.

She walked out her personal bathroom and into her bedroom. She sighed to herself and then looked down at her dresser; even after he had left she always kept the framed photo of her and Ezra close at hand. He was one of her best friends, of course she'd keep. She didn't want to ruin the value of the relationship that they had just because he left. She knew she couldn't blame him for leaving, she just missed him and didn't want him to go then.

She dried her hair and then went on to curl it. Aria hadn't changed much, she had long dark brown hair with a hint of lighter brown through it, she still was short and she hadn't change much else in her appearance. She went through a million different hair styles but she finally decided that the longer look was what she enjoyed having the most.

She was half way through curling her hair when she heard a gentle knock on her door.

She made sure her dressing gown was decent and called whoever it was in. "Come in"

Emily walked in timidly and sat down on her bed "Your room is so you but its beautiful!"

"Thanks Em, I am really glad to see you again. I've missed having you around"

"I know I just know if I keep training this whole athlete thing might work out after all" Emily spoke out.

"I know, I don't want to put you off your dream but just so you know you are still our Em and we all love you" Aria put down the curlers and sat down beside Emily. "You are part of my family, one of my true best friends. We all want you happy but we also want you to know we miss you loads too"

"Thanks Ar" Emily hugged Aria tightly and sighed "I thought cause I wasn't here and Jennifer was would be enough for me to be replaced; I told Michelle how nervous I felt over the idea of you guys not needing me anymore. Scary stuff"

"Em, she's our friend too but we would never replace you. You are so important to us all and we do love you. Best friend isn't taken lightly in this group after all the things we have been through"

They hugged again and Aria got up to get ready.

"Date with Ryan?" Emily asked while she made herself more comfortable on Aria's bed.

"Yeah"

"It's getting pretty serious huh?"

"I wouldn't say serious but"

"You still love Ezra?" Emily asked Aria with raised eyebrows

Aria put down the curlers and looked at the floor. She couldn't even look in the mirror when Emily could see her reactions.

"I will always love him Em. He's part of me, always. I just now know that he's somewhere out there and I can't wait on him forever. I wish I could be if he's not here in New York, how will I even find him? He stopped returning my calls 3 years ago and I just gave up on the idea that I would get my one true love" Aria ranted while holding in tears, she promised herself that she wouldn't cry over Ezra Fitz again and here she was... Breaking inside because all she wanted was for him to be back. She shook the feeling off herself and Emily watched her with careful eyes.

"I'm sorry for asking you that. I know you are sensitive when it comes to him but I also know that Ryan makes you smile and for that I like him. You are an amazing girl and deserve to smile"

Aria smiled faintly and Emily got up and walked over "Well, you have a date soon, so you can get ready and we will talk later?"

"Of course we will talk!" Aria forced a smile upon her face and tried to shake the feeling of Ezra off her.

She went back to get ready. She finished her hair by curling it and then clipping it over to one side and then she applied her makeup. Her skin was based on a natural look while her eyes were done dark with black eye liner, mascara and black eye shadow. She then dressed herself in white lace dress and her seven inch platform heels. She gave herself the once over and knew it was about half 8. Ryan would be there anytime soon and then she got her purse ready to go.

She left her room and walked down the hall into the living room to see 3 of her best friends and Michelle all in pajamas picking films.

"Seriously guys, you can't have these nights without me! I feel so left out!" Aria pretended to be upset but it just drew all their attention on her.

"God Aria, trying to make Ryan horny much?" Hanna commented on her attire first.

"What?" Aria looked at herself and didn't see the issue.

"Well, for one if I was a guy, I would bang you but that's not the point, you do look hot!" Hanna told her in her usual honest way.

"Is it really that good?" Aria questioned.

"Yeah, so hot Aria" Spencer added in.

It wasn't long for Ryan to arrive; he had the quirk only arriving 2 minutes before he said he would be somewhere. He knocked lightly on the door and Aria answered almost immediately. He stood in grey trousers, a white shirt and a matching grey jacket, this was all paired with plain black dress shoes.

"Hey, you look whoa. You just amaze me, you are amazing" Ryan was stuck for words, making Aria nervous for the first time in so long.

"You don't look too bad yourself there" Aria said while nudging him.

They left after they had said their goodbyes to the girls and they walked down to the car that Ryan had hired for their date tonight.

"Are you trying to impress me?" Aria smirked up at the 6'2 guy who had his fingers intertwined with hers. He smiled down at her and she couldn't help but smile back to him.

"Is it working?" He asked her emotionlessly, trying to not get overly excited.

"Yeah, it sure is working" She smiled gently at him.

"Well I guess I am!" He grinned back at her.

They sat in silence on the way to the restaurant, Aria leaned her head on his shoulder and he sighed inwardly. She was happy and she didn't want this moment to ever end.

When they arrived, he was the perfect gentleman to her, he opened the door for her, he held hand and he made her smile however with this kind of happiness for Aria always had a small bit of sadness.

She promised herself earlier that her memories of him wouldn't ruin the night and she allowed herself to enjoy it.

The meal was flawless, Aria was happy and seen that he really made the effort. He got a nice bottle of champagne for the table. They were at a nice Italian restaurant, he ordered her favourite meal along the starter and the dessert. She was so full from the bubbles and the food that she didn't want to move for the rest of the night.

They decided to walk in the fairly empty street after their dinner instead of the car ride back to her apartment which was full of her best friends. They walked wordlessly done the street on the beautiful night, hand in hand and Ryan stopped her. Aria had changed into flats to make the walk truly enjoyable as it should have been.

"Aria, I just want you to know, this has to be the best date I've heard had and it wasn't because of the meal or the planning. It's because I'm standing here with you and that's all I truly want now" Ryan confessed to her. She looked and him, stuck for words. She barely was given the chance to speak when Ryan spoke again "You really are truly amazing and I want nothing more than for us to be together for a long time" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. Aria thinking it was an engagement ring obviously freaked out and Ryan jumped to explain. "No, I am not asking you to marry me" He opened the box slowly; it was a small twisted silver ring. It was simple but beautiful and he spoke again "I promise you that my feelings for you are true, I want to you be with you and I'm not going anywhere".

Aria let him put the ring on her and smiled, she stood up fully and wrapped her arms around her neck "You know, I didn't get you anything special for tonight".

"Aw, I think I know a way you can make it up to me" Ryan said while he lightly rolled his eyes and give her a suggestive grin.

"I bet you do" Aria giggled and they stood in the embrace a bit longer. Ryan nuzzled her neck making Aria laugh.

"Aria?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you"

He hugged her tighter and she replied "I love you too Ryan".

Aria's guilt complex was pretty easy; she didn't do things that she didn't agree with. But this time she did, she told Ryan she loved him when she wasn't ready to, now she feared if this would crack their relationship.

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_**Feedback = Good! Let me know your opinions! - Laranbebe xx**_


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